robv60
09-25-2007, 09:57 PM
Ok, I seeded TTTF this past Saturday (been four days). I am concerned that I may be watering too much. I have been keeping a close eye on the soil, making sure it isnt drying out. After I first planted on Sat. I watered the ground for about 15 minutes to water everything in. This was about 3PM didnt get too dry looking to me so I did not water it again until ~11AM Sunday for 10 minutes. Started looking a little dry-ish so I watered it again around 2:30PM the same day. Now, I had to leave the house and while I was gone, sometime around 5PM we had a rain shower. I was not here but it looked as though it wet everything pretty good. Did not water again that evening. Got up Monday morning and just to give the soil a buffer until my wife made it home at lunch, I cut them on for like maybe 2 minutes, just to mist the ground a little-probably didnt need it. Now, my wife came home at noon and cut one watering zone on for ~10 minutes, and forgot the other zone and let it run for 35 minutes. Flooding a couple of the lower spots in the yard. I didnt notice any run off like the seed had been washed away, however there was standing water and really soggy soil when I arrived home at about 1:30. It all had pretty much soaked in by 4-5PM. Needless to say, Neither zone was watered again that night. Zone 1 that wasnt flooded looked pretty good into the evening. Wife came home today(Tuesday) and didnt turn the sprinklers on-didnt need it. I cut each zone on for less than five minutes at ~3:30PM. Wasnt dried out but some of the areas within the flooded zone that werent "flooded" were starting to need some water to keep from drying. It is now 10 til 10PM and the lawn has not needed water this evening. Now aside from the obvious flooding fiasco, The soil has remained damp/moist/whatever. Has not dries out. But I am afraid that maybe Im keeping the ground too moist. Its never soggy or squishy, just has that cold damp feel to it. The temps around here have been in the high 80s since I seeded and it is steadily cooling off this week. Should be in the mid 80s tomorrow and lower still by the end of the week. After about 3PM my yard starts geeting shade pretty rapidly and seems to hold moisture throughout the rest of the evening. I have GA red clay, that was tilled well, leveled the best it could be, fertilized with starter and based on the soil test-nothing else was really needed. I seeded and covered with straw, which I may have put on a little thick. Will probably thin it out some tomorrow. I guess my questions are:
1. How wet is too wet(flooding aside), Does the soil just need to be misted for a couple of minutes or wet really well so that it will not dry out within several hours in 80 degree weather?
2. What should I do about the areas that were flooded? Rake back the straw and re-seed, or wait and see what happens. If I do wait to see if anything grows in those areas, will it be too late to re-seed? How long should I wait or will I know pretty quick if anything is going to grow in those areas based on surrounded areas. No grass yet to tell, only been 4 days.
Sorry for the long post, but its easier to get it all out there in the beginning. Ok, Ill shut up now....
1. How wet is too wet(flooding aside), Does the soil just need to be misted for a couple of minutes or wet really well so that it will not dry out within several hours in 80 degree weather?
2. What should I do about the areas that were flooded? Rake back the straw and re-seed, or wait and see what happens. If I do wait to see if anything grows in those areas, will it be too late to re-seed? How long should I wait or will I know pretty quick if anything is going to grow in those areas based on surrounded areas. No grass yet to tell, only been 4 days.
Sorry for the long post, but its easier to get it all out there in the beginning. Ok, Ill shut up now....